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In literature, the definition of conflict exists in the struggle among varying and opposing forces - it is this conflict that drives a story forward. Conflict examples in literature include man vs. society or man vs. nature. Conflict in your office works similarly to conflict in literature, but instead halts forward progress. It can increase anxiety and tension between staff and managers. As anxiety and tension increase, productivity often slows. It is imperative for every business leader to understand how conflict arises in the office, and what can be done to effectively manage it and keep everyone on staff working efficiently with the least amount of anxiety or tension.

Interpersonal Conflict Examples

There are times when people simply don't get along. The larger the workforce, the more opportunities there are for relationship conflicts to arise. These are conflicts that happen because of misunderstandings, miscommunications and naivety about other people. A common example of a person vs. person interpersonal conflict scenario at work could include a male subordinate who doesn't believe that a female leader is capable of giving orders or that she should be giving orders. Another potential example of person vs. person interpersonal conflict could be of a female supervisor who believes that a male subordinate might not know what he is doing simply because he is younger. In both instances, the conflict arises from suppositions, not reality. Another example could be cultural misconceptions. There are other times where employees become friends with each other, and a rift in the relationship develops, causing tension and conflict at work. This type of conflict is mitigated by diversification training and and by setting specific employee standards for conduct.

Inter-Dependency Conflict Examples

Many work environments can be compared to an assembly line of workers who need to complete specific tasks before another department can complete a new task. For example, if Jack is responsible for delivering floral arrangements that the production department has made, he can't do his job if that department falls behind. The task doesn't necessarily need to be between departments; the task could be among specific individuals. An accounting department might require Keith to input all customer data before Alex can run the reports, which Keith will then give to management. Mitigating these issues requires proper staffing and training to ensure that there are enough people who can complete the required jobs so that the assembly line is not interrupted.

Processes and Style Issues

How things get done isn't necessarily the same for everyone. One employee might want to take care of all customer voicemail and email messages during a certain time of day, while another employee might address these issues throughout the day, sandwiched in between other duties. This simple variation on how the same task is accomplished could be frustrating for one or both parties. The employee who clumps everything into a single time block might perceive that the other employee is not giving customers dedicated attention; the other person could see someone waiting to respond as not prioritizing customer service. Mitigating this requires clear-cut company policies and team meetings to review the best practices as set by the company.

Leadership Style Issues

Different company leaders have different ways of leading. Not every approach is effective with every subordinate. An authoritarian leader who's unwavering in his demands of employees and is always barking out orders and criticizing others, might not get the desired results from an introverted employee. A visionary leader might risk creating an "in-group" and an "out-group," which favors some employees and excludes others from a variety of activities, including out-of-office socials, promotion and training programs. This leads to inter-group conflict or intra-group conflict among those in favor. Conflict examples like this can be mitigated by educating leaders and how their style affects others.

About the Author

With more than 15 years of small business ownership including owning a State Farm agency in Southern California, Kimberlee understands the needs of business owners first hand. When not writing, Kimberlee enjoys chasing waterfalls with her son in Hawaii.